A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

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The mind wanders, on occasion, through many processions of thought. When at the beginning of this text, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, I found it difficult to follow young Stephen's meandering thoughts with any semblance of comprehension until I finished reading the novel. I then began to research the novel and Joyce and realized the significance of these seemingly random thoughts. These are the thoughts of a budding artist in infancy.

As Stephen matured, so did his thoughts. His struggle with self is central to understanding the novel. Without any indication of any other person's thoughts, Stephen's thoughts provoke our own to fill in where Joyce left the narrative blank. His struggle with self deals with religion, sin, sexuality, and prudence. Courage may be added to this list, but to a lesser extent. Stephen feels it is sufficient to hide and keep silent more than to stand on a soapbox and say what he thinks to a crowd.

Many of his mannerisms are learned responses from earlier dealings with schoolmates and family. In Chapter 1, line 30, Stephen hides when he is in trouble for something unknown to the reader. He hides his emotions on lines 81 and 82 of chapter 1 when his mother is crying as she leaves him at school. He attempts to hide his shame, on lines 259-265 in the same chapter, at not knowing the correct answer between kissing his mother or not doing so.

These learned responses of defense are somewhat, but not completely ignored when his thoughts begin to mature and he forms his own philosophy of what is beautiful through the study of others (Chapter 5, Lines 1161-1469). He speaks openly, to Lynch at least, about what beauty is and what art is. Later, also in Chapter 5, he speaks openly to Cranly about religion and his lack of belief therein. He believes that Cranly is friend enough not to tell others that Stephen is, what might have been considered, a heretic.

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- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man The mind wanders, on occasion, through many processions of thought. When at the beginning of this text, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, I found it difficult to follow young Stephen's meandering thoughts with any semblance of comprehension until I finished reading the novel. I then began to research the novel and Joyce and realized the significance of these seemingly random thoughts. These are the thoughts of a budding artist in infancy.... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man]

- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is considered to be one of the finest works of literature of all time. Herbert Gorman, an author from the early twentieth century, stated that "so profound and beautiful and convincing a book is part of the lasting literature of our age," and with good reason. The main character of the novel, Stephen Dedalus, is a complex and dynamic youth, and one who undergoes vast changes during the course of his life.... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man]

- The Artist as Hero in A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man by James Joyce is a partly autobiographical account of the author's life growing up. The novel chronicles the process through which the main character, Stephen, struggles against authority and religious doctrine to develop his own philosophies on life. Stephen is not necessarily rebelling against God and his father as much as he is finding his own person, creating his own life. He is an artist, not because of the outcome of his life, but because of the process he goes through to achieve that outcome. The artist is a hero because of the sacrifices he makes, the persecution he e... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man]

- Soul of the Artist in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man As James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man unfolds, protagonist Stephen Dedalus' personal vision grows closer and closer to that of an "artist." Stephen attempts throughout the story to understand the inspiration he receives while being tormented by influences that seem to distract him. Stephen's thoughtful approach to his experiences, brings him through his tormented youth to a refined understanding of his feelings about art.... [tags: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]

- James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a novel of complex themes developed through frequent allusions to classical mythology. The myth of Daedalus and Icarus serves as a structuring element in the novel, uniting the central themes of individual rebellion and discovery, producing a work of literature that illuminates the motivations of an artist, and the development of his individual philosophy. James Joyce chose the name Stephen Dedalus to link his hero with the mythical Greek hero, Daedalus. In Greek myth, Daedalus was an architect, inventor, and artisan. By request of King Minos, Daedalus built a labyrinth on Crete to contain a monster called the Mino... [tags: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]

- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Artistic Development A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man had various themes which covered many areas. The primary theme of the novel is the artistic development of the artist, Stephen, and this relates specifically to the artist’s development in the life of a national language. Stephen experiences many voices of Ireland as well as those of the writers of his education. Out of all these voices emerges Stephen’s aesthetic theory and his desire to find his own manner of expression.... [tags: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]

- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Correlations Between Einstein's Science and Joyce's Artist Joyce and Einstein both made enormous contributions to their respective fields, but left us with as many new mysteries as answers to questions. Einstein's theory of Relativity showed us that our conceptual relationship to the world around us is extremely flexible -- that our perception of the world is determined both by our position in and of itself, and our position in relation to others.... [tags: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]

- The Esthetic Theory and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen Dedalus defines beauty and the artist's comprehension of his/her own art. Stephen uses his esthetic theory with theories borrowed from St. Thomas Aquinas and Plato. The discourse can be broken down into three main sections: 1) A definitions of beauty and art. 2) The apprehension and qualifications of beauty. 3) The artist's view of his/her own work. I will explain how the first two sections of his esthetic theory relate to Stephen.... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man]

- The Key Elements of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man provides an introspective exploration of an Irish Catholic upbringing. To provide the reader with a proper interpretation, Joyce permeates the story with vivid imagery and a variety of linguistic devices. This paper will provide an in-depth of analysis of the work by examining its key elements. The central theme of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is Stephen Dedalus' alienation and separation from his trinity of family, country and religion.... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man]

- The Artist in Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man and Pink Floyd's The Wall Foragers, the people who live in hunter-gatherer societies, have no artists. It is only when society becomes complex enough to support a division of labor do artists emerge-first as shamans, then as the painters, singers, writers, etc., that we usually think of today. Society, then, creates the artist, but it can also destroy him. In A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man, James Joyce describes the particular development of Stephan Dedalus that led to his becoming an artist.... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man]

In the last portion of the novel, the journal entries, he may be hiding again. He is certainly getting ready for a journey. The statement he made to Davin, "the shortest way to Tara was via Hollyhead" (chapter 5, lines 2701-2702), was a way to convey his intention of returning one day as a great man. Perhaps a great man of words, or of vision.